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Papworth, John Buonarotti, 1775-1847. / Hints on ornamental gardening : consisting of a series of designs for garden buildings, useful and decorative gates, fences, railroads, &c. : accompanied by observations on the principles and theory of rural improvement, interspersed with occasional remarks on rural architecture
(1823)
Ornamental gardening, pp. [9]-32
Page 13
ORN AMENTIAL GARDIENING. view at once opened comulpletely with bold and striking magni- ficence. The wild as well as the polished characters of scenery were cultivated as varieties in the arrangements; and decorative edifices and ornamental works were distributed over the whole as objects of embellishment and pleasure. To the advantages afforded him by the labours of this in- genious improver, Mr. Repton, who may be said to have succeeded to his attainments, was qualified to superadd those of highly cultivated taste; he possessed also a quick perception of the defects presented to his view in spots requiring his aid, and in an eminent degree, an aptitude of appropriating the beauties of nature in substitution for them.-He readily perceived the necessity of connecting the works of art with nature, by gentle and almost insensible degrees, thus harmonizing the landscape with the buildings-for without such care the one appears to be a trespasser on the property of the other, and in the conflict the mind is offended or perhaps disgusted. To harmonize these operations of art and nature, the landscape with the building, orthe buildingwith landscape, as the case may be, requires considerable skill; and on this important subject Mr. Repton's works cannot be consulted without benefit; and they are highly valuable as means of teaching how to look at nature and to comprehend its beauties, for there are many persons who never having directed their attention to such observances are in effect, suffering a species of blindness: for as its beauty conveys no kind of intellectual gratification to them, they are incapable of appreciating and of enjoying its charms. When however the mind becomes familiar with the sources that produce these delights, and make the observer no longer indiffer- cut to the perfections of natural and ornamental scenery, every truth that tends to establish pmimiciples in the art, is received 13
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